Honor
by pikfics
Summary: One sided Louie/Olimar slash fic...enjoy, please enjoy. Warning for mild cursing and poorly written action scenes.


**Pairings: Louie/Olimar, one sided...**

**Thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoy.**

"Olimar."

Olimar looked up from the space e-mail he had been writing. Louie was standing in the doorway of the control room. Louie's usual dispostion was calm and collected. Today, however, his friend was looking rather flustered and uncomfortable, an emotion that Olimar had seen on his face before, but hadn't seen since they first landed on the Pikmin planet when Louie was gazing at a Red Pikmin he had just plucked with an expression of intense hunger, even going as far as drooling.

Olimar smiled at him kindly and turned away from his desk. "Louie! Is something wrong?"

Louie shifted awkwardly in place, staring at Olimar. "What are you doing?"

Olimar looked to the screen his e-mail was projected on and then back to Louie. "Just replying to my wife about our children…it seems since I've left they've gone on a vacation without me," Olimar sighed, but then quickly regained his compostion. "I'm pleased to hear they're having so much fun…hopefully soon we can all go on a celestial vacation as a family…why?"

Louie looked at the doorframe for a few moments and then back at Olimar. "Oh. Just wondering."

Olimar frowned. "Louie, are you sure nothing's wrong?" he gave him a suspicious look. "You've been acting strangely lately…"

Olimar searched his mind for things he knew about Louie. He knew that Louie's only family was his grandmother…he had never bothered to ask about his parents, as Olimar figured he wouldn't want to talk about it. He knew Louie loved to cook…perhaps something had gone wrong in the kitchen. Perhaps…something had blown up and Louie was afraid Olimar would be angry! If something happened to the food, Olimar had a right to know…

Louie was usually rather…er…detatched, for lack of a better word, so Olimar found he often had to guess what Louie was saying or thinking.

"Did the kitchen set on fire?"

"W…what? No."

"Did you eat a Pikmin!?"

"No."

"Did… you break one of our air tanks?"

"…"

Olimar sighed. "You don't have to tell me…"

It was Louie's turn to sigh. "I know. Uh…" he came a step closer to Olimar. "Olimar, I, uh…." He seemed to be struggling to tell Olimar something, but was having intense difficulty and restrain.

"Louie, if you need to, you may tell me tomorrow…we both need our rest, and I'd like to finish replying to my wife." Olimar smiled. Although he himself had trouble with words sometimes, whenever he remembered that he had faced worse trials in his life, he usually felt worlds better.

"Your wife."

"Mmhm."

"Oh..ok."

Louie left quickly and quietly, dissapearing to the main room in which the two of them slept in uncomfortable sleeping bags. Olimar looked back to his e-mail and shook his head. Louie was difficult to put up with at times, but he enjoyed the companionship that he provided. Even if Louie didn't speak, just the prescence of another sentient being was comforting. It did make Olimar uncomfortable that Louie often stared at him…the Pikmin did enough of that already.

When he finished his e-mail, he walked cautiously into the main room and slided into his sleeping bag. "_Louie is already asleep_," he though with satisfaction, knowing there would be no awkward 'good nights' or 'see you tomorrows'".

As Olimar drifted off to sleep, images of his family at the hot springs of Hocotate flashed through his mind. He could be with them right now if it weren't for that ravenous space bunny…although Olimar had never heard of such a creature in all of his travels, he trusted Louie's input on how he lost the Golden Pikpik carrots. The universe was a big place, in which anything and everything could exist…

Louie woke up to a groggy start. It was one of those mornings where you a crick in your neck and those remnants of the previous day's anxiety to start your day. Louie had had anxiety problems for as long as he could remember, which always made it hard for him to socialize with other people. No one was ever usually too kind to him, either bullying him or not knowing who he was at all.

Maybe, Louie figured, Olimar was only nice to him because they were kinda stuck together on this planet, forced to recover a debt that…well…was entirely Louie's fault.

He regretted eating those Pikpik carrots, but at the same time didn't. They were the most delicious thing he had ever eaten in his life.

Louie looked over his shoulder to Olimar's sleeping bag. The captain was still asleep, his ears twitching occassionally. Louie frowned and looked away. How was Olimar going to react to what Louie was going to tell him? _How _was Louie going to tell him? Would he be able to tell him at all? Louie felt another wave of anxiety strike his heart. Olimar was an important person in his life, one of the most important. He was the only person who was nice to him besides his grandma, and his grandma wasn't exactly the kindest person in the world.

Louie then looked at the clock. "Hmm….eight thirty," he said thoughtfully, sleep still clinging to his mind and causing him failure to realise that they were 30 minutes late to start searching for treasure. "Eight thirty….EIGHT THIRTY!?" Louie's eyes became wide. "Olimar! Wake up. Hey!"

Olimar, whether the motion was subconcious or not, pulled his pillow from under his head to over his ears.

Louie examined the alarm clock and located the button that was its namesake, that made it signifigant from normal clocks.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP—

Olimar groaned and tightened the pillow around his ears.

—BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP—

Olimar sat up and blinked, the pillow falling down. "Wh..what time is it?"

"Eight thirty."

Olimar laid back down and stared at the cieling, then got up once again and quickly rushed to the bathroom to change and brush his teeth and his three strands of hair. Louie figured that after Olimar was done in there, it would be good for him to do the same.

After they donned their suits, it was time to wake up the Pikmin. Even the Pikmin (Fifteen Reds, Yellows, and Blues, and ten Purples and Whites) appeared dazed after sleeping in, as more were falling over than usual. Olimar whistled and then motioned for Louie to follow him. The blue captain didn't follow Olimar at first, but then quickly caught up, dashing past the Pikmin at Olimar's side. Olimar stopped and looked behind him. Louie always seemed to be off in his own little world, perpetually in a dream-like state.

"Today we'll be searching the Perplexing Pool of treasure. I picked off something on the radar as we were exploring Glutton's Kitchen yesterday, over by the electric gate. That shouldn't be too much trouble for the Yellow Pikmin!" Olimar smiled at the big eared Pikmin as a Yellow next to him seemed to give him a look of agreement.

Upon arrival at the gate, the treasure radar was going off wildly, buzzing and beeping and buzzeeping every chance it got. Olimar threw all fifteen Yellows at the gate blocking the treasure they had been seeking and put his hands behind his back, waiting.

After twenty minutes or so, Olimar was whistling a jolly tune, and Louie was unenthusiastically splashing in the water (an action he normally carried out enthusiastically, as he did with dishwashing after ingesting a certain something), seemingly apathetic at the possibility of attracting dangerous beasts. Olimar ceased his whistling and looked at Louie, who ceased his splashing. "Oh! Louie! What was it that you needed to tell me?"

Louie's bored experession hastily turned to one of embarrassment and shame. He took a deep breath, as if what he was about to say would change the fate of the world.

"Olimar…" Louie paused and waited for Olimar to say something along the lines of "Yes?" or "What is it?" or even if Olimar was feeling irritated (which was not frequent), "Spit it out!" But no such words were spoken, and Olimar simply stood peering at Louie thoughtfully as the Pikmin banged away at the gate before them.

"Uhh…Olimar…uhh.." Louie paused. "Olimar…..uhh..Olimar…Olimar…I…uhh..I really uhh.."

Olimar squinted and cupped his hands behind his ears. "What?" Louie's words were being drowned out by the sound of Pikmin striking their bodies against the fence to destroy it.

Louie smirked to himself and realised he could say just about anything now and Olimar wouldn't hear. He could tell him the Difficult-Thing-He-Was-About-To-Say and also the Difficult-Secrect-That-Could-Ultimately-Get-Him-Fired.

"I once ate an entire supply of Pikpik carrots!"

There was no response, just Olimar smiling politely, pretending he knew what was being said, as most people do when something is being said to them and they don't understand.

"The whole thing! All the Golden Pikpik carrots! That was me!"

Once again, no reply. Simply a polite yet confused glance. Louie chuckled to himself and decided to tell Olimar his other secret.

"I…"

Louie winced. It was hard to say even if he knew Olimar couldn't hear him. "I'll tell you later…"

By that time, of course, the clanging sound of Pikmin had come to a halt.

Olimar smiled. "Alright, Louie." He looked over to the Pikmin, who had already begun to pick up the treasure that lay there, waiting to be discovered and analyzed.

Later that night, after having a dinner composed of Bulborb and leftover Space Noodles(TM), Olimar sat down and prepared to write in his journal on the new treasure they had discovered. He decided to call it the "Optical Illustration."

"I've noticed that some of the objects we collect have undeniable similarities. Perhaps these treasures were revered by an ancient civilization."

"Olimar?"

"Come in!"

Once again, Louie was standing in the doorway of the control room and once again he had an unusually sheepish expression on his face. However, this time, underlying the embarrassed air about him, was something sly and scheming.

"We uh…we recently recovered 50% of the debt…"

That got Olimar's attention. He spun around in his chair and smiled widely.

"That is absolutely spectacular! All because of this enticing device?"

"I guess so."

"Ah, it was because of the other treasures we discovered as well!" Olimar looked back to the entry he was writing.

"Did you wanna celebrate?"

Olimar turned around again.

"Ah…sure!"

"Do you drink?"

"Only on special occassions."

Louie shrugged. "I guess this is a special occassion. I was thinking of making a special dessert or something though…."

Olimar's attention was captured at the mention of dessert. Louie was an excellent chef, and Olimar was certain he'd have his own five star restaraunt one day….Olimar was practically drooling at the thought of Louie baking one of his cakes or sculpting various sweets…

"Sure!"

Olimar shifted in his chair as Louie put on an apron and prepared..whatever it was he was preparing.

"So…what exactly are you making?"

"I'm baking Crème Brûlèe."

"Oh?"

Louie chuckled to himself, knowing he had Olimar's attention. "It should be ready in about 40 minutes…."

About an hour later, Olimar acknowledged that he had probably never eaten anything better in his entire life. "That was amazing…thank you, Louie!" he sighed and sunk into his chair, then straightened himself up once again, realizing he was being rude by slouching. "If you don't mind me asking…where did you learn to cook?"

Louie looked up from his Crème Brûlèe. He had been picking at it with his spoon since he had finished making his share, showing little interest in it, and instead showing more interest in watching Olimar eat, which made Olimar a little uneasy.

"I kinda figured it out on my own…my grandmother helped me, of course…" he frowned. "When I was younger, there wasn't really anyone around besides her, so I spent a lot of time with the bugs outisde.." Louie trailed off again and started to pick at his dessert again. "So..so I cooked those occassionally, and, yeah."

"Ah," Olimar smiled. "You're a very talented chef, Louie…I'm sure one da—"

"My grandma tells me I'll have my own restaraunt one day…"

"O-oh.." Olimar muttered, irritated he had been cut off. He shook the feeling off and smiled. "When you do, I'll come with my family, if you'd like!"

Louie looked genuinely surprised. "Y-you would?" Olimar had never seen him this worked up before. Louie smiled, and now Olimar was surprised.

"…Olimar."

"Eh..?"

"I…"

"Hm?"

"…..I am Louie."

"…yes?"

Olimar gazed at Louie in complete and utter confusion. "Are you trying to tell me something?" Louie became wide eyed. "No!" he sprang up and collected the dishes, snatching Olimar's pudding, despite Olimar not being finished with the dish. He hastily and aggressively washed the dishes, as Olimar sat dumbfounded.

"Louie, what's wrong…?"

"I…."

"…"

"I'm…I'm hungry."

Olimar laughed. "Haha…hey, hungry! I'm Olimar!"

Louie cringed, a grimace on his face. He looked towards Olimar and gave him a peculiar look mixed with exasperation and admiration.

"Olimar…"

"Hmm?"

Louie sighed and placed the dish he was furiously scrubbing down into the sink. "I'm sorry…" Olimar frowned. "It's alright. I only wish you'd tell me what was troubling you," he said as gently as possible. "I can tell when something is out of the norm. I'm your friend and coworker, and I'm willing to help you." Olimar stood up and placed a hand on Louie's shoulder. Louie tensed for a moment, but then relaxed. "I'm going to bed. I suggest you do the same."

Louie sat in the kitchen, his head in his hands. He felt absolutely disgusting and awful…he was unsure as of what to do and terrified that if he did anything that the outcome would cause him more anxiety and sadness than he already had. Louie took into consideration that he had never been hugged very much as a child. Not that it mattered, but Louie remembered hearing somewhere that hugs apparently solved everything.

"I know my grandmother would never hug me.." Louie said to no one in particular. He then remembered that Olimar was sleeping in the other room, and tried to keep his thoughts to himself.

A series of 'what ifs' came to Louie's mind…what if he could actually tell Olimar, and Olimar was fine with it? He smiled weakly. What if Olimar felt the same? He said his family went on a vacation without him, after all. Who needs a family who just leaves you without asking if you wanted to come along? Louie could totally relate.

Louie rested his head on the kitchen table, not caring at all that the surface was uncomfortable. Tomorrow, he would finally tell Olimar. He had to.

"Louie, look out!"

Olimar's arm hurt from throwing Pikmin. They had been exploring the Shower Room, a cave they had gone to before but had never reached the final floor due to a lack of exuberance. As usual, Louie was daydreaming and not paying attention, getting sucked up into the stomach of a Lesser Spotted Jellyfloat. Ironic, considering the fact that Louie had been considering experimenting with different recipies for cooking one.

"Louie! Move your arms and legs around! You'll escape that wa-" Olimar stopped and looked behind him. Another Jellyfloat was right behind him, preparing to absorb whatever was underneath it. Olimar scanned the area as fast as he could, seeing that it was clear of any other enemies besides the Jellyfloat and dismissed his Pikmin so they wouldnt get caught. As he was sucked up, Louie had struggled free, calling Olimar's Pikmin and tossing one after the other onto the Jellyfloat which had released him and onto the one that had captured Olimar.

"Oh!"

Olimar had been trying to break free, but it seemed Louie had done that part for him. Olimar fell onto the hard floor, impressed of Louie's actions. "Thank you, Louie!" he said proudly. "You can lead, if you'd like." Louie's eyes lit up, looking determined. He whipped around and whistled for Olimar and the Pikmin to follow him.

"Olimar…"

"Louie?"

"Louie has been doing this far too often lately," Olimar thought to himself as some Pikmin broke down a gate leading to a hole that would take them to the next sublevel. "I don't really know much about him that would cause him to be like this…does that make me a bad coworker and friend? Then again, he doesn't really tell me much…"

"Olimar, uhhh, Olimar."

"..hm?"

Olimar was growing impatient with whatever it was Louie had to tell him. He had been growing impatient with a lot of things and people lately…perhaps it was just his age.

"You, uhh, you know that thing I wanted to tell you earlier."

"Yes, Louie?"

Louie took a deep breath. "Olimar..you…" he swallowed hard and looked around him, as if someone would be listening. Now that Louie thought about it, he wasn't sure the Pikmin could understand words…Olimar sure did talk to them a lot, though, whether he was telling them encouraging things or calling them "little ones" or ordering them to pick up treasure.

Although he had never felt clastrophobic before, Louie could suddenly feel the Pikmin closing in around him. The clusters of multicoloured sentient carrots seemed to be glaring at him with their bright, beady eyes. Louie began to sweat a little more than he was already.

The Pikmin cheered as they broke down the gate blocking their way. Olimar patted Louie on the back sympathetically and whistled for the Pikmin to hop down with him. Louie followed shortly after, mentally kicking himself for failing to tell Olimar his secret once again.

Olimar jumped as the ship buzzed loudly. "FINAL FLOOR!" it bellowed, it's voice glitching slightly, indicating anxiety.

Olimar looked at the cieling of the underground. Reaching the final floor usually indicated there would be a large, dangerous creature—a boss, so to speak—guarding a valuable treasure that would ultimately help them in the long run. Olimar directed the Pikmin to a gate blocking the way to a hallway-like structure, with metal pieces protruding from the sides. He looked over to Louie, who was twiddling his thumbs and staring at his feet as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

The red captain shook his head. The ship had mentioned that they would need teamwork to get through this cave, and between Olimar's frustration and Louie acting strangely, it didn't look like that was going to happen. Regardless, Olimar decided he would try to make an effort to get along with Louie.

Louie motioned for Olimar and the Pikmin to follow him through the dark tunnel. It was dark, but he could make out a light ahead in an open room. He squinted and made out a strange pancake-like shape…it was not indimidating at first, but when he realised how big it was he couldn't help but gasp. It was a large creature, similar to the Toady Bloyster they had seen outside the entrance of the Shower Room. It slithered about aimlessly, making a strange, low _muuing _sound. Louie jumped suddenly, his heart beating faster than a Pikmin on Ultra-spicy spray, when the creature's eyes lit up and seemed to zero in on him. Its stalk eyes flashed blue and its stange onion-like tail glowed, making a familiar, yet eerie, sound Louie had heard on the ship's radar once.

It inched closer and closer, then reared itself up and preparedto attack. Louie quickly covered his helmet with his arms and closed his eyes, but felt nothing. He opened his eyes and looked behind him.

His eyes widended in surprise when he realised all his Pikmin were gone, and so was Olimar.

He looked around and noticed Olimar being followed by the great mollusk. "It follows whoever moves," he thought to himself. "Wow…that's amazing.." He quickly snapped out of his amazement and ran behind the creature.

"Hey! Heyy! Over here! Over here!"

The Bloyster turned around and focused on Louie, who realised that he was now the one in danger. Louie, however, did not feel so worried when he saw Olimar looking determined, throwing Pikmin at the tail. Olimar smiled triumphantly and Louie noticed the Bloyster was getting slower and slower following Louie, much to his delight.

Backed up against a corner, Louie sighed in relief as Olimar defeated the creature. It shrunk into the ground, only leaving the tail from which it had been defeated and a mysterious treasure.

Olimar grinned widely. "Thank you, Louie," he said happily from across the room as Pikmin began to lift the treasure to the ship. He strided over, a few straggling Pikmin trailing behind him, their eyes filled with wonder and admiration for their leader.

"Are you hurt at all? I should've taken that into consideration, ah…" Louie smiled sheepishly. "No, uhh, I'm fine," he said. He whistled for some Pikmin to pick up the tail of the Bloyster. "I think I'll cook this tonight!" he added cheerily and sidled away from the corner and from Olimar. "Louie, wait," Olimar said sternly, grabbing Louie's arm. "I would like you to tell me what you've been trying to tell me." He dismissed his Pikmin. "I believe I have a right to hear it, as your captain."

Louie swallowed hard and looked around in all directions. With Olimar staring at him, he was almost forced to stare back.

"Olimar," Louie began slowly. "Olimar…" Oh, this was hard to do. "Olimar…how do you feel about me..?" he asked hesitantly. Olimar looked surprised.

"Huh..? Well, Louie, I think of you as a friend and collegue…why?"

"Because I…because I…Olimar…" Louie's normally pale face was beet red.

A familiar voice interrupted their conversation. "CAPTAIN OLIMAR. CAPTAIN LOUIE. ARE YOU READY TO DEPART? THERE IS A GEYSER A FEW FEET FROM WHERE YOU BOTH ARE STANDING. PLEASE HURRY, THE PIKMIN ARE STARING AT ME. THEIR EYES ARE VERY BRIGHT. NOT AS BRIGHT AS MY SHINY, LUSTROUS HULL HOWEVER." The strange static-like noises they heard after the ship spoke must've been some sort of robotic laughter.

Olimar ran towards the ship and gathered the Pikmin, giving Louie one last confused but reassuring glance.

An interesting thing about the Hocotate Freight company ship was that it had a bad habit of buzzing into Olimar or Louie's thought-banks when they least wanted it to. This only happened when they had their helmets on, thanks to the antennes at the top.

"YOU'LL TELL HIM EVENTUALLY, CAPTAIN LOUIE. DO NOT WORRY," it buzzed, its voice lacking any emotion or comfort whatsoever. "I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF LOVE, BUT I AM SURE IT IS FANTASTIC FOR YOU." Louie scowled. "Shut up," he muttered. "You don't understand, so you don't care. Don't you have better things to do?"

"YES."

"…"

"I'LL BE WATCHING YOU MR. LOUIE. YOU ARE A SUSPICIOUS ONE."

"Whatever."

"…"

"…"

A few weeks passed by, then months. Louie returned to his normal self, treasure was gathered, and the debt was soon finally recovered. It had been a long, incredible journey, and neither Olimar nor Louie would give it up for anything. Louie had started writing journal entries on different enemies they encountered and how to cook them, and Olimar had written countless journal entries on the treasures and trinkets they had discovered. Both would swap journals and then talk about what happened at the end of each day. Louie would often cook meals if they had defeated enemies that day, and if they didn't there were always Hocotate Noodles(tm). Olimar would write to his family and Louie would write to his grandmother, and both would go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every day, eager to begin exploration with the Pikmin. Whatever dangers they would face, they knew they'd have the Pikmin with them, and that everything would be fine.

They had both lost countless Pikmin, but with death also came growth. Olimar would make sure there would be days where they could take off from treasure hunting (despite the protests of their President) and harvest Pikmin. It was amazing to help create life. This always reminded Olimar of his children, and although Louie wasn't really reminded of anything, he still found it amazing.

After packing up and laughing about old memories of the past months, they set off to Hocotate at nightfall. As they lifted off out of the planets atmosphere, Olimar looked behind him and thought of the Pikmin…would they be ok? They seemed to have fared well when he had left the planet the first time…Olimar often worried he was distrupting the natural order by being there, but all of that was behind him now…if he ever returned, he would remember to be careful and treat all things with respect, no matter what. Perhaps he would return to the planet to gather Pokos for the sake of getting his beloved S.S Dolphin back…

Olimars eyes focused on the ship, and what he saw (or lack, thereof) caused his eyes to bulge out and his mouth to drop open.

Louie…where was Louie..?

It was too late to turn back now…perhaps Louie had fallen out of his seat again? Olimar looked away and shook his head in dissapointment. It looked like he would have to go back to the Pikmin planet once more. If only Louie would put on his seatbelt…he always complained how itchy it was, just like a child. Louie often reminded Olimar of his son, except…well…ok, maybe he didn't remind him of his son at all. The red captain closed his eyes and set the ship to auto-pilot. It was going to be a long flight back to Hocotate.

Olimar's heart sank as he drifted off into sleep. It was also going to be a long, long time before he saw his family again at this rate.

Louie had panicked at first, panicked greatly. He couldn't believe it. Olimar had…left him? His only friend had left him…Louie was in a complete state of disbelief and heartbreak. Olimar left him. Olimar, the most important person in his life, left him. He didn't go back at the last minute to look for him, he just…took off. Just like that.

After a few days, Louie felt a cold bitterness grow in his heart. The panic he had felt earlier had dissapeared and was replaced with complete and utter hatred for that pathetic excuse for a captain. He couldn't believe he had once trusted that guy, love—no. He _hated _Olimar. He hated Olimar, and the Pikmin, everyone and everything. His only friends were bugs. Bugs were there for Louie from the very beginning. Bugs were always there. They were there when his grandmother starved him as punishment for his parents dying and he had nothing to eat. His parents death wasn't his fault…at least he didn't think. Regardless… bugs helped him survive.

Louie walked for hours on end, trying to find the perfect place to initiate his plan. He eventually stumbled across an incredibly orange and cold place. Not as cold as the place where he had first arrived on the planet with Olimar, but…chilly. There was something special about this area…there was something familiar about it. Louie shook the feeling off. No. There was nothing special about this place, or this planet.

The blue captain examined a cave he came across. It looked and smelled scary. He looked down it and held his hands to the sides of it, so he wouldn't fall in. It seemed to go on forever…this was the perfect place for him to hide, if Olimar came looking for him.

Yes…if Olimar came, Louie would be ready for him. He would get his revenge.

About a week later, as Louie was exploring the area that he now called "home", he saw a suspicious object project from the sky. It was shiny and hurt his eyes. He ran towards the estimated landing site and hid in the nearby flora. Three familiar Onion-like flying objects dropped close by the suspicious object.

Louie looked on from afar as Olimar and the President of the company, whom he had wasted hours of his life on, exited the ship. It was now painted gold, its metallic voice sounding as boastful as ever.

He watched as Olimar ran and slid underneath the Onions, calling Pikmin to join him. The President waddled behind him, bumping into Olimar as he stopped abruptly to call forth Pikmin. Louie scowled. He was supposed to do that.

"You're in for it now, traitor…" he murmured.

"Louie!" Olimar shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Louie! Where are you? Louie?"

Louie swallowed hard and frowned, feeling a landslide of guilt for making Olimar worry.

"Louie? Louie?"

Olimar…Olimar cared about him…Olimar was looking for him….Louie felt a spark of forgiveness well up in his chest, but he quickly crushed the feeling down. He scampered off into the thick underbrush of the wilderness, looked around him and jumped into the cave that had become his lair. He had the entire cave set up perfectly..treasure was scattered in obvious places. Olimar, the Pikmin, and the President would flock to them, and the bugs that Louie had manipulated to attack anything that wasn't him would attack.

There was still one creature…one creature that Louie hadn't tamed.

He had a plan for that, too. He considered finding special, dangerous treasures somewhere and offer them to the creature. Not only would the creature attack Olimar, it would also protect Louie from being "saved." He was killing two Hocotation Birds with one stone.

Olimar cried out in frustration. He had lost 26 Pikmin in the last hour through this cave, and was ready to just give up entirely. He knew he had to push forward, not just because his boss was pressuring him to find the rest of the planets treasure, but to find Louie, and to put the Pikmin who's lives were lost to justice. It was hard to focus on his own goals while having to focus on his boss's goals at the same time.

If the President even got a scratch, the ship would call off the entire mission and force Olimar to retreat, leaving behind all the treasure they had collected. It was invigorating, but this didn't happen often, as the President would try his very best to stay as far away from any danger as possible.

Finally, finally he found it..a geyser leading to the surface. He motioned for his Pikmin and the President to follow him. "I don't want to do this anymore," Olimar thought sadly, as they were blasted up to the surface. "I want to go home to my wife and children…It's been too long since I've seen them last…" He wondered how much taller his children had gotten…he knew that their mother had been making them work extremely hard, studying to no end…this worried Olimar. When he finally returned home, he would certainly have a chat with her…

Later that day, as Olimar was defeating creatures for the Pikmin to bring back to the Onion, Olimar reflected on his history with the planet and the Pikmin. He remembered the day he had crash landed at the Impact Site, and sighed. Now that he thought about it, the place he and the President had landed (that Olimar had named 'The Wistful Wild') seemed very familiar…he found it fitting that he would end his journey on the planet where he started, if this was indeed the same area.

Olimar dismissed his Pikmin nearby the Onions and left to go for a short walk. Most of the creatures in the area had been defeated, so he wouldn't be in too much danger…besides, he could fend for himself if he really needed to.

The sun began to set, and Olimar acknowledged he would have to return to the ship as soon as possible. As he walked, he came across an interesting cave…perhaps Louie had gone down it? "This seems like the type of place Louie would go down," Olimar thought, peering down the hole. "Teenagers like the dark…right? I hope my children aren't like that…then again…I don't believe Louie is a teenager. Perhaps he just likes darkness. Hm…" Olimar looked around. He noted the caves position in the area and hurried back to the ship.

That night, Olimar told his plan to explore the cave to the President.

"Will there be treasure?" the President asked, two bowls of Space Noodles(tm) on his lap.

Olimar frowned. "Yes."

"Will that dolt Louie be there too?"

"Yes."

That was enough for the President to agree. Tomorrow…tomorrow they would finally find Louie.

"The Dream Den" as Olimar had decided to name it, was by far one of the most dangerous and unpleasant places Olimar had ever had the misfortune to visit. It certainly did test every skill he had honed. Between Pikmin dying, the President's complaining, and the ship's constant buzzing whenever there was treasure nearby, Olimar felt as if he was going to explode. "Remember why you're here, Olimar," he thought, gritting his teeth. "Do it for your best friend, Louie. Do it for the Pikmin, who have always been there for you. Do it for your family."

Exhausted and weak, Olimar finally, finally stumbled to the final floor. Enough Pikmin were left to carry back any more treasures. Olimar felt that the Pikmin that had survived deserved a reward…as soon as he found nectar, he would give them as much as possible.

Olimar looked around. The room was truly rather scenic...miniscule bugs, even smaller than the Pikmin, fluttered around lazily, releasing a gentle yellow light. Olimar's eyes followed one of the bugs as it floated across the room, until his eyes finally rested on a blue light; a dark, familiar shape was underneath it. Was that…Louie!? Sitting atop a pile of treasure…

"Mr. President! Stay here with the Pikmin! I think I see-"

He was rudely interrupted by the ship.

"IS THAT LOUIE?! MR. PRESIDENT, I HAVE LOCATED LOUIE RESTING ON A VAST MOUND OF TREASURE! FOR HIM TO VENTURE TO THESE DEPTHS ALONE…THE DESIRE OF A MAN IS SOMETHING TO BE FEARED!"

"Louie!" the President shouted. "Excellent job finding the treasure! You will ge—is he alive?"

"HE IS NOT MOVING…COULD HE HAVE EXHAUSTED HIS STRENGTH REACHING THESE DEPTHS?"

Olimar could swear from far away he saw Louie sneer…something was wrong..

The red captain ran over to Louie, but was the wind was knocked out of him by something—a Dweevil leg!? "Louie, what's going—"

"You can call me the King of Bugs," Louie smirked from atop his arachnid throne. "What do you think of the Dream Den? Pretty homey, hmm?" As Louie spoke, he was raised higher, the Dweevil's body emerging out of the ground, bits and pieces of dirt falling off of it. The treasure Louie had been sitting atop of stayed clinging to the Dweevil.

'Homey', meaning pleasantly comfortable and cozy, homelike, was quite the opposite of what Olimar thought of the Dream Den. He thought of it more along the lines of 'homely', meaning unattractive in appearance and overall ill-favoured.

"Yes, it is rather sophisticated," Olimar said plainly, in an attempt to humour his former friend. He gathered himself together, finally catching his breath. "Louie..will you please explain what is happening?"

Louie laughed and looked from Olimar to the President and the Pikmin. "You know," he spat. "You know. You know what you did. You left me. You left me all alone, and then you took that _fatass—_" he pointed an accusing finger at the President, who hid behind a Purple Pikmin. "—and you left me! I thought you…I thought you…." Louie's eyes widened with rage and he crossed his arms atop the Titan Dweevil. "It's time for you to pay."

Olimar whistled for the Pikmin to be at his side. The President quickly located the nearest geyser and hid behind it. "Louie, please," Olimar said pleadingly. "You don't have to do this. I didn't mean to leave you. If I had known you were gone, I would've…"

"LIAR!" Louie shouted. The Titan Dweevil picked a treasure off of it. Olimar looked up in horror as the circular object it had pulled off began to release a gyrating poisionous gas, choking his Pikmin. He whistled and ran out of the pit from which Louie and the Dweevil stood looming over him and the Pikmin.

The next object it pulled off sent droplets of water crashing down in every direction…a few Pikmin who were not fast enough to dodge drowned right before Olimar's eyes. Olimar's throat hurt from whistling and every inch of him ached…but he had to keep going and get to Louie somehow, before he perished with the Pikmin.

"You should just give up already!" Louie called tauntingly, giving the colossol insect a hearty pat. Olimar flinched as fire was thrown at him. Two Pikmin perished, a Blue and a White…Olimar was sure he'd never forgive Louie for this…

Each treasure the Dweevil used was worse than the last…flames, electricity, water, and poision all came down upon Olimar and his beloved Pikmin all at once. Desperately, Olimar threw Pikmin at the treasures, until finally, little by little the armor of the Titan Dweevil broke off.

Olimar frantically threw Pikmin, knowing that one stab from the Dweevil's legs could end the Pikmin or him…the President was no where in range, so he would not be effected.

Suddenly, the skin of the Dweevil began to disintegrate and peel off. Louie fell to the ground, looking bewildered, his eyes wide and his mouth open. He stumbled forward off the empty shell of the arachnid and then fell to his knees, holding an antenne of the Dweevil tightly in his fist.

"O..Olimar…" Louie murmured, looking all around him, his eyes finally resting on his old companion. "Olimar…"

Olimar sighed a deep, relieved sigh. The Pikmin seemed to sigh with relief too, and looked up at their captain, waiting for the next move.

Louie wasn't sure what to say, feeling a mix of emotions he had never felt before. He wobbled over to Olimar and reached out his hand. He suddenly thought differently and pulled it away.

"I…I'm sorry…"

Olimar gave no reply, instead looking behind him and counting how many Pikmin were left.

"Olimar.."

The red captain's shoulders tensed and continued counting as if Louie hadn't said anything. "You've done enough, Louie," Olimar said softly, after counting a total of twenty Pikmin left. "Let's go home."

Few words were spoken as they made their way to the geyser. The President had been waiting there, giving Olimar a look meaning "What took you so long" and Louie a look of "Stop standing there and go get the treasure, moron". The only one who spoke was the ship, of course. It went on and on about the events that had just happened, and listed off all the Pikmin that had been killed. Olimar finally gave the ship a look meaning "Please shut up" and for once in its robotic life, it shut up.

Louie, who had been locked in the Treasure Hoard area of the ship, because there was simply no room in the cockpit, had had a lot of time to reflect on things. He thought a lot about food, and Olimar and the Pikmin…he thought a lot of pretty much everything.

Louie remembered all the times Olimar had gotten violently sick from tasting different things…both of them had had their fair share of nausea and plague from the planet's intriguing cuisine. Each time Olimar had gotten sick, Louie had taken care of him, as Olimar had taken care of Louie.

Louie had become very serious when Olimar was sick. He made sure the ship knew Olimar was sick too, and told it to lock up and make sure he didn't leave at all to protect him or the Pikmin.

Louie looked around him. It was very cramped in the Treasure Hoard, and he felt insulted to be locked in here…this was certainly not a place for the King of Bugs…why did that fatass they called a president sit in his old seat? Why was he even here? Louie would've prefered it if Olimar had come with anyone but the President, but hey, what can you do? The blue captain closed his eyes.

"Louie?"

Louie jumped. "Y-yes? Olimar?"

"Louie…are you alright?"

Olimar stepped into the fluorescent light of the Treasure Hoard. He looked like he hadn't slept in days…the President must've been working him so hard. Fat jerk. Maybe Olimar's lack of sleep was because of Louie too…Louie felt guilt encase his chest and he held his breath.

"I'm fine…are you ok?" Louie stood up with difficulty. He hadn't moved in a long time. It was incredbily cramped in the corner from which he sat.

Olimar nodded. He looked behind him and then back at Louie.

"Louie…I forgive you for everything. You're my friend," he sighed. "Do you remember what you were trying to tell me all those months ago? You never told me…"

Louie's eyes widened and he winced. "Olimar…" It had been such a long time since he had to tell Olimar his secret. He stared intently at Olimar. The embarassment and shame he would normally feel felt far away now. What did he have to lose? He knew that, even though Olimar said he forgave him, he would never truly _forgive _him, but Olimar did have a way of surprising Louie. He took a deep breath, the deepest he had taken in a long time.

"Olimar, I know you'll never feel the same about me…" he began, looking at the floor and then back at Olimar.

"Olimar…"

Olimar shuffled his feet, his expression unreadable.

"Louie, I had been trying to deny it myself, but… I believe you ate the Pik-Pik Carrots."

"…ah.."

"All I can say now is that I hope you've learned from your mistakes as I have from mine."

"You're…you're not going to tell our boss..?"

Olimar frowned. "No."

Louie looked back at the floor, struggling to compose himself. "Olimar, that isn't what I had to tell you," he began. Olimar looked incredibly puzzled and sat down on the floor across from Louie, looking him at eye level.

"Oh…then…what?"

"Olimar…"

"…."

"I love you."

"Louie…!?"

"I love you, I love you, I love you—" Louie was becoming bolder with every word, moving closer towards Olimar.

"I love you so much, Olimar…and I…." Louie's face was filled with emotion, emotion that had been restrained for such a long time, longer than Olimar could ever imagine.

The Treasure Hoard's fluorescent lights were becoming more and more piercing, and Louie felt sweat form at his brow. Even though there was another person in the room, Louie felt incredibly lonely and cold. His chest constricted and he began to feel a familiar panic rise up within him, tears forming in his eyes. Olimar didn't feel the same, he could already tell.

"I...Louie...I'm not really sure what to say...I-"

Right on queue, a grating, computerized voice boomed from a loudspeaker on the ceiling.

"CAPTAIN OLIMAR! WHAT ON HOCOTATE ARE YOU DOING LOAFING AROUND IN THE TREASURE HOARD? YOU ARE NEEDED IN THE MAIN CONTROL ROOM."

"Louie, I...I have to go. I'll come and visit you when I can."

Louie watched as his captain got up and promptly left, gently closing the door behind him. He looked around the room, each treasure, each memory he saw breaking his heart a little more.

He was alone.

"Louie."

Louie looked up, grateful to look at something other than the floor. Olimar was standing in the doorway, his usually relaxed and cheerful demeanor gone. He looked completely and utterly exhausted, not even bothering to take off his helmet or gloves.

"O-Olimar...are you ok..."

Olimar cleared his throat and took a step inside the crowded room. "We're going home tonorrow."

Louie blinked. This news meant nothing to him. That useless excuse of a planet was no home to him. But then again, the Pikmin planet wasn't much of a home either. "So where do I belong?" Louie thought, feeling a piercing sadness strike his heart.

The red captain stumbled inside the treasure hoard, occasionally wavering and coming close to toppling over and collapsing completely. Louie finally realized that something might've been a _little _bit wrong with Olimar.

"Olimar...? Are you okay...?"

Olimar sighed and sat down with Louie, his legs shaking as he did so.

"Ah...our...our boss and I managed to collect all the treasure the ship had detected on the planet..." Olimar stared straight ahead at something that may or may not have been there. "However, a lot of Pikmin lost their lives...it all happened so quickly, Louie, I...I'm not worthy to be their captain."

Louie stared at Olimar and realized in horror that he had been crying. He had never seen Olimar cry before, and to see someone like Olimar, someone so strong and amazing and clever break down like this was shocking to him... Louie wanted to cry too. He desperately searched his troubled mind for something, anything to say to comfort his captain, when finally, an idea conjured into his head. He remembered Olimar saying something about his old ship the S.S Dolphin, the one that Louie had seen get taken away the faithful day they had met and begun their adventure together...he also remembered Olimar saying he had thought of buying the wonderful ship back at some point.

"O-Olimar...if...if you, uhh, Olimar...if you want, after this is all over, we could...we could come back to the Pikmin planet and...and get back the Dolphin. I...I know you said a lot of Pikmin died helping you repair it a-and m-maybe we could get it back again so they didn't die in vain...we could gather treasure to raise Pokos to get it back, a-a-and while we're there we can help the Pikmin grow and live and fight and...um...Olimar...we...we could look for treasure, like old times, maybe even get a different temporary ship s-so it doesn't yell at us..."

"Stop rambling, you piece of shit," his mind snapped. "He hates you. Olimar hates you. You're making everything worse."

Louie looked away from Olimar and put his head in his hands. Now he'd done it.

"Louie..."

His heart sank and he looked up only to see Olimar crying...and...smiling?

What?

Crying and smiling...at the same time...?

"Thank you."

Louie's mouth was open in surprise, his heart pounding in his chest. He made Olimar happy, he made him smile... he couldn't believe it.

Tears stained Olimar's cheeks, and he had taken off his helmet. He cleared his throat and put the helmet on the ground besides him. The lights swayed back and forth on the ceiling and Olimar began to speak.

"Louie...I...I don't feel the same about you in..." Olimar blushed. ".._that _aspect. But I...I truly value your friendship. You are the greatest friend I've ever had, and I really, genuinely care about you, and would do anything to fix our friendship after what's happened...I want you to know I'm more than elated to return to the Pikmin planet and have adventures with you once again, as always. That being said..." Olimar grinned at Louie. "The S.S Dolphin needs a co-captain."

Louie swallowed hard. "Y-you mean..."

Olimar nodded and stood up, offering his hand to Louie.

"Will you be my co-captain?"

Louie smiled the widest he had ever smiled in a long, long time. He took Olimar's hand and stood up. With difficulty, mind you, but he stood up.

"I'd be honored to."

**And there you have it! That's all folks. Please critique this, if you want, I'm still a little iffy about the ending. I had to re-write it because my computer crashed, so I'm nervous about it.**


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